


time cannot erase

by gh0ulpunk



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, I really hurt myself writing this, and it took me 10 years, fluffy gross stuff, in honor of Petra's death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gh0ulpunk/pseuds/gh0ulpunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The moment he finds out she is gone, the thoughts that come after include all of his time with her.</p><p>Levi Ackerman’s mind goes quickly to the first time he realized he loved Petra Ral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	time cannot erase

**Author's Note:**

> I am dedicating this to [gen](http://yall-motherfuckers-need-levihan.tumblr.com/) because she's the nerd who inspired this. this is also posted for the anniversary of Petra's death (a day late, I know) which was on october 4th. this is also on [tumblr](http://sirtable-hand.tumblr.com/post/99267018545/time-cannot-erase)

The moment he finds out she is gone, the thoughts that come after include all of his time with her.

Levi Ackerman’s mind goes quickly to the first time he realized he loved Petra Ral.

It wasn’t something you’d exactly call romantic-- it was more teasing, but full of fearful relief.

They’ve returned from a mission, and Petra has made a terrible mistake. Putting her life in danger just for cargo, she barely escaped from the clutches of death; moving just before a titan could’ve snatched her up in it’s hand. So when they return, Levi is checking her all over.

“Are you hurt? Is that your blood or titan’s blood--?” Questions of the sort fall from Levi’s mouth; no one in the squad has ever really seen him worry this much over someone. Usually, he knows that those who die have done a great deed, sacrificing their all to the survival of the human race. Yet it seems like if Petra had gone, humanity’s strongest wouldn't have made it another day.

“I’m fine,” she snaps suddenly, quickly annoyed of how he’s not more concerned about himself currently. It wasn’t as if this hadn’t happened before… at least, not with him immediately around. They’ve known each other for years at this point, and she still can’t get it out of her head that she’s fallen for one of the strongest men of humankind.

When they are cleaned up and changed, she makes tea, and they sit across from one another, sipping quietly.

Petra can feel Levi looking right through her -- a brave façade is what she plasters on every morning, but he always knows. Knows she’s scared; that she’s vulnerable. She can act all she wants but he knows she’s more shaken up than she looks about the whole ordeal that afternoon.

“Thank you for saving me,” she emits after a while, eyes falling from his to stare at the table.

“It’s what comrades do,” he answers, setting his cup down. “We look out for each other.”

“You and I don’t really count as _comrades_ , Levi,” she murmurs, almost choking on her tea when she hears a small soft, but teasing scoff from across the table.

“Forgetting rank already, I see,” he says, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I-I didn’t mean--”

“I know,” he sighs, setting his empty teacup down to lean forward on his elbows. The table is small enough so that he’s only about a foot away from her. He studies her; her eyes looking at anything but him; fingers drumming nervously against the side of her cup; her teeth gnawing at her poor bottom lip.

“However, you are correct,” he says with a nod towards her.

“About?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call us _just_ comrades either.”

Petra finally lifts her gaze to him, a small smile now on her face. "Glad we agree on it then, Corporal."

"I was fucking with you about addressing me by rank," Levi says finally, when Petra has finished her tea and they’re simply staring at each other again.

“It’s only right for me to address someone you respect by their given rank,” she responds.

Sighing in faux-annoyance, Levi gets up, walks over to her side of the table and picks her up bridal style.

“C-Corporal!” Petra laughs, her arms quickly finding their place around his neck. She already knew he was taking her to his room-- it wasn’t unusual to find the two asleep in the same bed; it happened quite often. Not always together as in sex, mostly just a comforting company they have.

So when they’re tucked in together in his bed, and his arms are around her and his face against her shoulder, she sighs in content.

“Why did I fall in love with you?” He blurts out suddenly. Levi really wasn’t one to outright say, ‘I love you’, so that was his way of saying so.

“Maybe because I fell in love with you,” she mumbles, eyes closed. Heat is practically radiating from her cheeks, though, and she’s glad that even if he wanted to look at her right now, it’s too dark to see her face.

Honestly, he didn’t mean for those words to be said, but tiredness is something that can easily take advantage of you. It’s not like he can really take it back, anyway. He’s opened up to her more times than just this moment already, but the words that were said ended up surprising them both.

Yet they’re both going to accept it; to save themselves from the dumb fumbling and embarrassment of saying it correctly.

After remembering such moments, Levi is brought back to the present. Petra is dead and his love is gone; he has never felt so shattered before. He feels sick and suddenly so, so tired. Like all he has ever fought for is almost useless, now; but he doesn’t let himself think that way for long. Out on the battlefield, there is no time for remorse. He will have time to grieve when he is alone in his bed tonight, for the first time since he said he loved Petra.


End file.
